While governments seek a balance between all stakeholder interests in zoning a marine park, protection for important grey nurse habitat sites cannot be compromised if the grey nurse shark is to avoid extinction in NSW. The current zoning plan offers inadequate protection for key grey nurse habitats at Montague Island, Tollgate Islands and Brush Island. Despite being critically endangered, sanctuary zones that would offer protection for grey nurse sharks are being fiercely opposed by anti-marine park activists. Your submissions are critically important to secure protection for these magnificent animals.

ACTION:

View the draft zoning plan at www.mpa.nsw.gov.au

Further information and online submission forms can be found at www.marine.org.au/batemans_subform.htm

Alternatively, send a submission to:

Before filling out your submission form check the submission guide available from the Nature Conservation Council of NSW at www.nccnsw.org.au/marinesanctuaries

The deadline for submissions is 15^th October 2006.

Please send copies of your submissions to:

Key points to make in your submission:

Congratulate the proclamation of this new Marine Park and the sanctuary zones covering some of the grey nurse critical habitat sites.

• However, express concern that some key habitats and breeding areas for the grey nurse shark remain inadequately protected in the current zoning plan. The Government has independent advice that all grey nurse shark sites need to be surrounded by sanctuary zones out to a 1500m radius.
• In particular, request that Montague Island, the Tollgates and Brush Island be protected by extensive Sanctuary Zones to fully protect the grey nurse sharks that aggregate there.
• Beaches, deep water and seagrasses such as Posidonia and Ruppia are under-represented in the Government's draft zoning plan, and substantially more of these habitats need to be protected in Sanctuaries.

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